February 16, 2008

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LAURINBURG, N.C.—After rolling to a 13-0 five-inning victory in the opener, visiting Mars Hill College scored three runs in the final two innings of the nightcap to rally past host St. Andrews Presbyterian College, 3-1, to complete the non-conference softball double dip sweep on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman Ashley Seawell (Asheboro, N.C.) led the Mountain Lions (11-1) to their fourth straight sweep with three hits -- including a home run and a double -- five RBI, and three runs scored.

Senior Mika Tanji (Honolulu, Hawaii) provided an all around good performance for the Lady Knights (0-6) going 3-for-4 from the plate while pitching five scoreless innings to start the second game. Classmate Erin Haugen (Ft. Mill, S.C.) collected team-highs of four hits and three stolen bases.

In the first game, sophomore’s Tiffany Farthing (Kure Beach, N.C.) and Paige Brantley (Raleigh, N.C.) combined for the five-inning shutout while the Lions offense erupted for 13 runs on 11 hits. Farthing allowed two hits in the first two innings while Brantley (4-0) was credited with the win scattering three hits over the final three frames.

Freshman Heather Haithcox (Asheboro, N.C.) broke open a 1-0 game with a two-run triple to right field in the third inning. Sewell then tagged her third home run of the season to lead off the fourth that ignited an eight-run inning. Mars Hill took advantage of a couple Knights errors by sending 12 batters to the plate in the fourth, scoring seven unearned runs.

The Lions capped the 13-run victory with an extra run in the fifth while St. Andrews stranded six runners on base.

The Knights finally scored their first run of the season in the first inning of the finale. Haugen led off the home half of the first with a single and a stolen base. Sophomore Nicole Easter (Lumberton, N.C.) followed with a single. On the same play Easter drew the attention of the first baseman by rounding the base. As soon as the fielder went to tag Easter out, an attentive Haugen sprinted across home plate to give the Knights a 1-0 lead.

SAPC maintained the one-run lead after five innings behind the arm of Tanji, who held the Lions offense off the scoreboard by allowing just three hits. Mars Hill senior Kristina Osborn (Birmingham, Ala.) finally drove in the tying run in the top of the sixth with an RBI-single off the St. Andrews reliever.

The Lions then escaped with their eighth straight victory by scoring two unearned runs in the seventh. Mars Hill loaded the bases on a pair of SAPC errors and a single by sophomore Anna James (Bellevue, Wash.). The Knights third error or the inning sent the eventual game-winning run home. Osborn added an insurance run with another run-producing single.

Farthing (3-1) picked up the win on the mound allowing just two hits in four innings of relief work for freshman starter Tara West (Urbana, Ohio). Farthing had nine total strikeouts on the day while Knights senior counterpart Samantha Stewart (Ft. Pierce, Fla.) fanned six batters in her two appearances. Stewart (0-4) took the loss in both games.

Osborn and Seawell collected three hits apiece for the Lions while Haithcox and Osborne each drove in three runs for the visitors. Sophomore Ashley Angell (Winston-Salem, N.C.) swiped four bases in the twin bill.

St. Andrews travels to non-conference Catawba College (Salisbury, N.C.) on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.